Dear Editor:Last week's letter referring to "Global warming nonsense" (Letters to the Editor, 7/24/09) and all of the ramblings in that letter really display a lack of understanding of the issue. Ignoring scientific data to conveniently espouse a political point of view is puzzling.
Global warming is real and a serious threat to our planet. The scientific data supporting this conclusion is accepted by at least 90 percent of the world's scientific community. Here are just a few of the irrefutable facts:
The polar ice caps are melting and the surrounding seas are warming at an accelerated rate.
The average temperature of the atmosphere and the oceans is rising.
The level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is steadily increasing. In the late 1800s when measurements were first recorded, the level was approximately 280 ppm (parts-per-million). It's now about 340 ppm and accelerating each year. This is exacerbated with the annual loss of hundreds of square miles of the world's rain forests. The scientific models predict dire consequences if the carbon dioxide levels reach the 370-390 ppm level resulting in rising sea levels and long periods of drought. The greenhouse effect is real and well understood.
Those who deny the global warming threat refer to the cyclical patterns of the planet's warming and cooling. They ignore one simple fact. For the first time in the history of the planet there are almost 7 billion people on earth contributing to hydrocarbon emissions, and to make matters worse, their number is likely to double in the next 20-25 years.
It is not nonsense for our government to try to take the lead in fighting global warming. The industrialized nations of the world were the major polluters for the last 200 years and we should own up to our responsibility to solve the problem. It will not be easy nor cheap.
Denying the problem only burdens future generations with solutions that will undoubtedly be too little and too late. For now, other countries will not be able to change as quickly. They will eventually cooperate knowing that this is a global problem and also in their best interest, but only if we have the leadership to show the way.
- Alex Ambruso,
Downey